By Carey Rossi on January 23, 2011 in
Reduce indoor pollution, reduce heart disease risk. That's what a new study in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine finds. Canadian researchers studied healthy adults living in a small British Columbia community where wood-burning stoves are the main source of pollution. What they found is that high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters reduced the amount of airborne particulate matter--a fancy way of saying pollution--and as a result, the residents' experienced improved blood vessel health and reductions in blood markers that are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Researchers found portable HEPA filters reduced the average indoor pollution concentrations by 60 percent and wood smoke by 75 percent, and that their use was associated with a 9.4-percent improvement in circulatory system cell (aka endothelial cells) function and a 32.6-percent decrease in inflammation.
This isn't the first study to evaluate HEPA filters' ability to reduce pollution; however, it is one of a few to be conducted in small communities or ones where wood smoke is the primary pollutant. Most research on this topic has focused on urban areas where vehicle emissions are the air quality compromiser. From these previous studies, we know that pollution causes inflammation in the lungs and vessels and may also cause endothelial cells to function poorly; all of which can ultimately cause cardiovascular disease, according to the study's lead researcher, Ryan Allen, PhD, assistant professor, Simon Fraser University, in Burnaby, British Columbia.
"Reducing air pollution appears to provide health benefits even if the pollution levels are already relatively low," Dr. Allen said in a prepared statement. "HEPA filters are a potentially useful intervention since they are relatively inexpensive to purchase and operate and can effectively remove tiny particles that can be inhaled, to improve air quality inside homes where the majority of time is spent."
If you think you're home is a candidate for an air purifier, check out our report here.